


Worth

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Criminal Minds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-24
Updated: 2007-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1637036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers for "Penelope." Gen focus on Garcia post-shooting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tigerlady

 

 

Garcia tried to hide the shaking in her fingers, pretended that it didn't matter. Looked at the screen through the tears, kept typing even knowing it wasn't going to be as clean as she normally made her "research" trips into police databases.

The reaming had been expected, higher ups hated secrecy in the FBI. Blamed it on past misdeeds, claimed they weren't hers, and then sent her on her way. Made sure that there was a note in her file, and made her show them what was in the folder anyways.

She'd already shown everyone in the department. There were no secrets in that file folder, but there things that she hoped no one could ever access ever since Elle. Things like addresses. No matter what they said, Penelope knew that some of that blame was on her. Some of that blame would forever be on her.

But it had been worth it, she had to hold to that. Even with the gun shot wound still tugging at her, she had to believe it was still worth it.

Kevin Lynch was almost worth it, even just that brief meeting. The chats had been worth it, and she was glad to have another tech to speak with. Another hacker to speak with. A hacker that knew what she knew. Kevin was someone she could be honest with, complain with, deal with bureaucracy with. Someone she'd never thought she could meet. 

She had to think it was worth it. Especially with the team looking at her differently. She'd been going a little nuts with looking eccentric - tried to get a smile from someone. Giving extra smiles so that they could pretend she hadn't been shot at, been hunted down because of some crazed angel of death cop that JJ had to shoot. That JJ had to kill.

Reid hadn't been able to even look her in the eye since then, and Morgan had dragged her to the firing range, tried to make her shoot that gun finally. She still hadn't, but he felt better knowing that he could show her the right way.

Garcia hold to the fact that had it gone on long enough, the case would have been theirs anyways. Hundreds may have died before the pattern was caught.

A few weeks off, and a write up had to be worth it to get rid of someone like that. And the scar would look kind of cool.

She could even tell people it had been shaped like that on purpose.

Worth, after all, was relative. And sometimes the only way she got through the day is if Garcia could hope that it all was done for a purpose. 

 


End file.
